A Heart Forged in Steel
by liketolaugh
Summary: In the fight with the troll, Butler loses more than is easily replaceable. In an attempt to remedy this, Artemis takes the bodyguard to Amestris, the world's main manufacturer of automail. There, they go to the best known makers of automail - the Rockbells - only to find that there is already a patient in surgery: Edward Elric.
1. Fever Dream

**A/N: I wrote this with the intention of not publishing it. Then I wrote it with the intent of not publishing it until it was finished. Naturally, that meant that it is one of the stories that took me the least time to write ever. So here it is. My first successful attempt at an Artemis Fowl crossover. I hope you like it!**

**Title: A Heart Forged in Steel**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: T**

**Pairings: None**

**Genre: Friendship/Drama**

**Warnings: Earth!AU for Fullmetal Alchemist (Amestris is an isolated country located somewhere south of Russia, on the border between Europe and Asia) and slight AU for Artemis Fowl - the events of The Arctic Incident are all shunted forward a year.**

**Summary: In the fight with the troll, Butler loses more than is easily replaceable. In an attempt to remedy this, Artemis takes the bodyguard to Amestris, the world's main manufacturer of automail. There, they go to the best known makers of automail - the Rockbells - only to find that there is already a patient in surgery: Edward Elric.**

**Disclaimer: I own neither Artemis Fowl, nor the Fullmetal Alchemist. 'Tis but a dream.**

* * *

The first thing Butler noticed when he woke up was that he was alive; the pain permeating throughout his entire body told him that. It was still nice to know, though. The second was the one-eighty twist in his neck, which was a less pleasant realization, given that it meant he would probably never walk again.

The third revelation fell somewhere in between the two extremes: His left arm was completely absent.

Then, one after another, the fourth thing he noticed were the blue sparks.

Later, Butler wouldn't be sure how he'd managed to take down the troll with only one arm. But he had, and that was what mattered.

When Artemis saw him, ever so slightly off-balance and expression dark, his eyes would widen, and for once, he would look his age – shocked and just a little afraid.

"Butler?"

"Artemis."

And Artemis would fall silent.

When Artemis bargained with Holly for a wish, he would first ask if she could regrow Butler's arm. She would shake her head; there were some things even magic couldn't fix. Failing that, he asked her to restore his mother's mind, and that she did. Could.

After the fact, it would be Butler who requested automail. Despite Artemis' miscalculation, he still trusted the boy – he'd gotten them out alive, in the end. And everyone was entitled to at least one mistake, as long as they learned from it.

Artemis wouldn't think twice before he booked the plane to Amestris.

"Rockbell Automail," Artemis said quietly, the usual note of smugness absent from his voice, standing in front of the meek little house in the middle of the meek little town. "The best in Amestris. Funny that it would be in a town this small, don't you think, Butler?"

"Yes, sir," Butler agreed, gazing toward the homemade sign announcing their location.

Artemis sighed and strode forward, rapping sharply on the wooden door. After a brief moment, it opened, revealing a tired-looking preteen girl with blonde hair and blue eyes.

The girl looked at them for a long moment before her eyes cleared and she sighed. "Hi," she murmured, rubbing at one eye blue eye. The other slowly travelled to Butler, landing on the empty sleeve where his left arm ought to be. "You're here for automail, right?"

"That is correct," Artemis replied curtly.

The girl nodded, matter-of-fact, and looked over her shoulder. "Granny! Customers!"

Within a few seconds, the pitter-patter of footsteps announced the arrival of a short old lady who, while not quite as tired as the girl, looked a little weary herself. Still, she looked at them with a sharp, discerning gaze, one that made Artemis more uncomfortable than he was used to.

She looked at Artemis first, gaze travelling all over him, to his eyes, each of his limbs, and then to his face again. She dismissed him and looked up (and up, and up) at Butler, who cocked an eyebrow at her, shoulders set.

The lady nodded, as though they'd passed some sort of inspection, and turned around again. "Well, come in," she said crisply, not bothering to look at them as she spoke. "Let's discuss this inside."

Artemis glanced up to Butler and nodded once, then followed the old woman in. Soon enough, they were settled on a couch, with the old woman in an armchair not far away and the girl settled comfortably on the floor beside her grandmother.

"I'm Pinako Rockbell," the old lady introduced herself, not wasting any time. "This is my granddaughter, Winry. And who might you be?"

"Artemis Fowl," Artemis introduced himself with the same businesslike tone. "My butler, Butler, lost his arm not long ago and wishes to get it replaced."

"Obviously," Pinako agreed, strangely unfazed by the aura that generally surrounded Artemis. She sighed. "Well, I'm afraid that you'll have to wait a few days. We already have a patient undergoing surgery at the moment."

Artemis blinked, not expecting that. "Is that so?" He leaned back slightly, eyes narrowing. "Well, we can certainly afford to wait. After all, it isn't as though I've planned to return home at any point in the near future."

"I'd hope not," Winry muttered, leaning her head back against the arm of the chair. "Standard rehabilitation time for an arm is two years; you'll be here nearly as long as Ed."

"Ed?" Artemis frowned. "The patient currently undergoing surgery, yes?"

Winry glanced away and nodded, not looking at Artemis. "Yeah… Right arm and left leg." With a slightly proud smile, she added, "I'm designing them myself."

Taking back control of the conversation, Pinako continued, "Edward will be in surgery for two more days, but after that, I can perform the surgery on Butler there while Winry starts Ed's rehabilitation."

Artemis nodded once, sat back, and looked to Butler, nodding again. Butler took the gesture as it was meant and looked to Pinako, right arm across his lap in a falsely relaxed position, leaning forward. "How effective is an automail limb?"

"Almost exactly like a real limb," Winry piped up, smiling brightly. "Exactly how good depends on the make, of course, but Rockbell automail is the best."

"Will I still be able to fight effectively?"

"Of course," Pinako said, almost offended. "If you wish, you may even look into specialty combat automail, though you'll want to grow accustomed to traditional automail first, naturally."

As Butler continued to ask questions of the two Rockbells, Artemis allowed his attention to drift.

He'd underestimated the fairies. He'd _greatly _underestimated them. While he had, in the end, not only gotten the gold, but also gotten himself, Butler, and Juliet out alive, the price had been greater than he had imagined.

Next time, he'd be more careful.

If Butler trusted him enough for there to be a next time.

The clanking of metal made Butler look up sharply, one hand going straight for his gun, and Artemis, much slower to react, looked up a few seconds later.

A large suit of armor was edging toward them tentatively, looking uncertain of itself, wringing its leather gauntlets. When it spoke, Artemis started at the youth clear in the wearer's voice, which was too high for someone of that apparent size. "Granny?" Its head turned, eerie red gaze landing on Butler and Artemis, and it stilled. "Who are they?"

"Artemis and Butler, they're here for automail," Pinako explained shortly, though her expression softened slightly from the businesslike manner of moments before. "Alphonse, what brings you down here?"

The armor started, like it had forgotten, and then wilted, head dropping slightly. "Oh, um, brother's fever is acting up again," he explained, voice quiet and worried, bordering fretful.

Winry let out a long, tired sigh and hauled herself up. "I'll take care of it," she murmured, starting toward the armor. She flashed him a reassuring smile, taking his hand fearlessly and following him up the stairs.

Artemis looked after them for a moment before looking back to Pinako, eyes intent. "Who was that?"

"Alphonse, Edward's brother," Pinako explained vaguely, then pointedly moved on, returning the focus to Butler. "The first step in the surgical process is to reopen the socket for port installation…"

Artemis listened carefully, tucking away each step into his mind, internalizing the process. Butler nodded along, almost as focused, eyes serious and professional.

As it should be.

* * *

**So yeah, it's only just beginning now. But! It'll pick up eventually. Sort of. Anyway, I hope you liked it, and that Butler was alright - he's harder than I expected. _Artemis _is easier than he is. (Though that might be Ciel's fault...) Please review!**


	2. Choice Cut

**A/N: And another chapter, this early! Hahaha. I have stuff to do (for school... ugh) but I still have this. *beam***

**Title: A Heart Forged in Steel**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: T**

**Pairings: None**

**Genre: Friendship/Drama**

**Warnings: Earth!AU for Fullmetal Alchemist (profile for details) and slight AU for Artemis Fowl - the events of The Arctic Incident are all shunted forward a year.**

**Summary: In the fight with the troll, Butler loses more than is easily replaceable. In an attempt to remedy this, Artemis takes the bodyguard to Amestris, the world's main manufacturer of automail. There, they go to the best known makers of automail - the Rockbells - only to find that there is already a patient in surgery: Edward Elric.**

**Disclaimer: I own neither Artemis Fowl, nor the Fullmetal Alchemist. 'Tis but a dream.**

* * *

Long, painful groans and cut-off, strangled whimpers filled the house, making it vibrate with a silent, suffocating tension. Just outside the door that was the source of those screams, the suit of armor holding Alphonse shifted nervously, glowing red orbs fixed on the door unwaveringly.

Edward Elric was back in surgery.

The day before, as it happened, had been a day of rest before the final stretch, and now that the day was over…

Artemis cringed unconsciously at the low, nearly inaudible, but distinctly agonized noises coming from the surgery room. Butler was frowning, though; he's heard horror stories about automail surgery. It made grown men scream. There were people whose hearts gave out because they couldn't take the strain.

But he hadn't heard a single scream.

Seeing his charge's growing discomfort (even an evil genius wasn't immune to the power of mirror neurons), Butler took the liberty of engaging Artemis in quiet conversation. This successfully distracted his employer from the quiet noises, forcing his mind elsewhere.

An eternity later, a soft, clattering clank drew both males' attention to Al, who released a soft sigh, not even looking at them, and not making another motion, just staring gloomily at the door.

Artemis' blue eyes fell on the inattentive, armored boy, and his head tilted slightly, gaze sharp like newly cut sapphires, and he asked, "Alphonse. How did your brother lose his limbs?"

Al stiffened, armor straining and creaking with tension. "Um… Uh…" He floundered for a moment before finally blurting out, voice high, "We, uh, we don't like to talk about it!"

Artemis' eyes narrowed in suspicion.

It was another day and a half before the surgery was finally complete. The moment a tired, but pleased Winry opened the door and smile wanly at Al, the armored boy nearly bowled her over to get to his brother.

Artemis wouldn't readily admit to looking on with interest – even a little anticipation – to see what this 'Ed' looked like, but look on he did.

A minute later, the armor reemerged, cradling a small boy – maybe ten or eleven years old – in his large arms, as carefully as though the boy was made from blown glass. The boy's – Ed's – head lolled slightly, eyes closed, but breathing too irregular for him to be unconscious. His left arm clutched a spike of Al's armor like a lifeline, and his right leg dangled over Al's arm. Capping his left thigh and right shoulder were two steel ports, gleaming starkly against vulnerable flesh.

Artemis' eyes flashed with puzzlement – if this was the older brother of the (admittedly young-sounding) boy in armor, how old was the younger? And this, again, brought to light the question of how the limbs had been lost in the first place. Come to that, why even get automail over a regular prosthetic in the first place? It was considered a great risk even for fully grown adults.

"Hm."

Butler glanced down at his charge, recognizing the intensity Artemis got when faced with a new puzzle, and nearly chuckled. Nearly.

"Brother," Al whispered to the boy, voice soft like just that would break Ed. "Brother, you can't go to sleep yet. Just a little longer, okay, Ed?"

Ed nodded against the armor, seemingly not even noticing that his head was resting on hard metal, breath coming in labored, raspy mouthfuls.

Alphonse carried Ed over to a chair, and then carefully set him down in it. He shuffled back, somehow managing to radiate worry without a visible face.

Winry appeared beside the chair and settled herself beside Ed's shoulder.

"Ed," she called quietly, as Pinako shuffled past the crowd, mumbling to herself, and stopped right by his leg, prepared automail at the foot of the chair.

Ed rolled his head toward her and opened dull, honey-yellow eyes to look at her with a half-aware gaze.

"We're going to attach the automail," she told him, not quite shielding the worry in her sky blue eyes. "Ready?"

After staring at her for a long moment, exhaustion and pain etched into his face, he nodded and closed his eyes again, tensing slightly.

"One…" Pinako said tersely. "Two… Three."

In unison, Winry and Pinako pushed the automail into place, and Ed arched, face contorting and a silent gasp catching in his throat.

A few seconds later, he slumped, rasping breaths loud in the quiet room, nearly unconscious and mouth slightly open, sweat beading on his brow.

Artemis couldn't help it; he glanced at Butler. The bodyguard's expression was unreadable, though Artemis thought he could make out a hint of puzzlement there.

"Butler?"

Butler glanced at Artemis and smiled briefly. "I knew what I was getting into when I requested automail, Artemis," he said quietly.

_And you knew I would let you go if you didn't, _Artemis added silently. He nodded once and looked back to the front, satisfied, to watch Al hover over his brother fretfully, and then Ed open dull eyes and manage a smile and a wink at his younger brother.

"Piece of cake," he whispered, voice hoarse.

Despite Ed's obvious weakness, Al brightened visibly, relaxed, and gentled. "Go to sleep, brother," he said softly.

Ed grinned tiredly, nodded, and slipped off to sleep as soon as he closed his eyes. Al picked him up and carried him off, clanking quietly, and Pinako sighed softly and turned to Winry.

"You go get some shuteye too, girl," she said crisply. "I'll get started on this gentleman here. You'll need to start Ed's rehabilitation first thing in the morning; you know how that boy is."

Winry wrinkled her nose, nodded, and breathed a soft, exasperated "Ed" before yawning and slinking away. Pinako chuckled softly and turned on Butler.

"Your turn, I believe."

Butler nodded, once, and then again to Artemis before following the old woman to the surgery room for the first step in gaining automail.

Artemis didn't follow, but blue eyes trailed Butler with a strange intensity until the door fell shut.

It was six long days before Butler's surgery was finished. He hadn't screamed – Artemis thought that perhaps his pride would not let him – but it had been a close thing. It was two more days before Butler was allowed to walk around, almost imperceptibly unbalanced by the solid steel arm, though he had no trouble lifting it, something Pinako promised would cut months off of his rehabilitation time.

Butler was taking advantage of this, walking in the hallways after Artemis, just moving. That was before they were interrupted.

"Ed, _what _do you think you're doing?"

Winry's furious shriek drew both their curiosity, and Artemis changed directions to look into the room where Ed and Al were staying.

Winry was standing angrily, a wrench clenched in one hand and other hand on her hip, over Ed.

Ed was determinedly ignoring her, shoving himself upright roughly with his good arm, which shook under the weight of the steel prosthetic. As if that wasn't enough – because apparently, to Ed, it wasn't – he was also struggling to stand, as though he could force his new leg to obey through sheer force of will.

If he was like this on the eighth day of failure, Artemis would have hated to see what day one had looked like.

Winry brandished the wrench threateningly, looking as though she'd very much like to hit him with it. "Edward, you know full well how long it'll be before you can walk! Stop being stupid before you hurt yourself!"

Ed lifted his head and scowled at her. In sharp contrast to the pain-dulled honey Artemis remembered from the week before, now his eyes gleamed with the bright luster of fairy gold.

"Winry, I don't have a lot of time! The sooner I can walk, the sooner I can _really _get started!"

Ed's eyes burned with determination. It would be inspiring, Artemis mused, if he was failing any less miserably at standing.

"Don't you think the automail mechanic would know best?" Artemis broke in archly, one eyebrow raised.

Ed started and turned that suspicious gold gaze on them. "Who are you?"

Al, hovering anxiously over his brother, started with a clatter. "Oh! Ed, this is Artemis and Butler. Butler went into surgery just after Granny and Winry finished yours."

"Huh." Edward relaxed slightly, but kept his gaze on them. Butler was growing to be somewhat put out; his size, build, and general demeanor were typically perceived as extremely off-putting, but the residents of this house seemed to be immune to the effect. It was somewhat unsettling.

Ed's gaze moved slightly to settle more firmly on Butler, studying him with an intensity that reminded Butler sharply of Artemis. He gazed coolly back, and, after a few moments, the comparison shattered as Ed gave him a fierce, challenging grin.

"Alright, big guy," Ed said, voice low and determined, tinged with the excitement of a challenge. "Two years, that's your projection, right?"

Raising an eyebrow slightly, Butler nodded.

"Right!" Ed grinned again, teeth bared, and jerked his hand up to point at Butler, nearly falling over as he unbalanced. "I bet that _I _can finish faster than _you _can!"

Butler gazed down at the small, grinning boy for a long moment before he finally shook his head, a quirk of amusement to his mouth, refusing the challenge.

Really, the boy was _eleven. _His ego wasn't so fragile that he needed to prove himself to a child who was at a disadvantage from the start.

Ed completely ignored his refusal and grinned up at his brother, bright eyes sparkling. "Right! Al, if you take some of my weight, I should be able to stand up and walk some, yeah?"

Al shifted uncertainly. "But, brother, what if I hurt you accidentally?"

"You won't," Ed said, with complete confidence.

Artemis nodded to Butler and turned to leave, and Butler followed. The door fell shut behind them just as Ed, with his little brother's help, stood on his own two feet again and started to wobble forward, left leg dragging like a dead thing.

* * *

**And yay, Edward has done something other than have a fever! I hope you liked it, and please review!**


	3. Just a Little Further

**A/N: Heh. Yeah, okay, I waited a little while to post this. *shrug* But. Update. (Eh, I'm tired. Since when do I actually wake up when I'm meant to?)**

**Title: A Heart Forged in Steel**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: T**

**Pairings: None**

**Genre: Friendship/Drama**

**Warnings: Earth!AU for Fullmetal Alchemist (profile for details) and slight AU for Artemis Fowl - the events of The Arctic Incident are all shunted forward a year.**

**Summary: In the fight with the troll, Butler loses more than is easily replaceable. In an attempt to remedy this, Artemis takes the bodyguard to Amestris, the world's main manufacturer of automail. There, they go to the best known makers of automail - the Rockbells - only to find that there is already a patient in surgery: Edward Elric.**

**Disclaimer: I own neither Artemis Fowl, nor the Fullmetal Alchemist. 'Tis but a dream.**

* * *

Butler listened carefully as Pinako explained a few exercises he could do, and then set him to his task: to reach as far up as he could, using just his shoulder.

This was just embarrassing. And rather difficult. He wished Artemis would stop watching him with that face.

"-and you'll see, Al, I'll be up and running in no time, and then we can work on fixing you, okay?"

Al wheeled an animated Ed in, half hunched over, only partly to get through the door. "Okay, brother," he said softly.

This was the fifth day of the two of them trying to do this. They could both get their shoulders to move now (with no small amount of difficulty) but not much.

The Rockbells, Butler noticed, were conducting his and Edward's rehabilitation slightly differently. While Pinako had simply instructed Butler to 'reach as far up as he could manage', Winry always gave Edward a goal. A goal that Ed, without fail, always reached by the end of the day.

Butler wondered how long that would last.

Winry, just behind the two brothers, gave Ed a serious, professional look, odd on the eleven-year-old face, as the wheelchair was brought to a halt not far from Artemis, where Butler had an easy, distinct view of him. "Alright, Ed. Try and reach Al's elbow today." She gave Al a stern look. "And Al, stand up straight! No bending over!"

Al straightened up quickly. "Yes, ma'am!"

He'd bent over that first day to make it easier on Ed when the gold-eyed boy had been struggling to reach his hand.

Ed's grin faded away, and he barely spared a moment to flash Butler a grin alive with challenge before a look of concentration took over and he slowly lifted a badly shaking hand.

The automail appendage paused for a moment as it reached Al's hand. Al took it and wrapped one leather gauntlet gently around the small extremity, squeezing it for a short second before he let go. Ed grinned fiercely and gradually lifted it higher, inching up Al's arm, left fist clenching and right foot kicking with the effort.

Knowing full well that hours could pass while Butler struggled to reach a few scant inches higher, Artemis sat with a book on automail design in his lap, not looking at his bodyguard. Butler reached straight forward, trying for higher, a furrow of concentration in his brow, while Pinako watched impassively.

On the other hand, Al hadn't taken his eyes off his older brother, red orbs sad, tension in the line of his shoulders. Ed flailed his flesh leg furiously, reaching for his little brother's elbow, left fist clenching convulsively. Winry sat back and watched with soft, sad blue eyes.

Time passed. Artemis turned pages, and Pinako and Winry lapsed into quiet discussion, still keeping one eye on their respective clients. Butler kept a silent, narrow gaze on his hand, which now rose above his shoulder. Al kept his gaze on his brother, stock still as seconds ticked by, while Ed, like Butler, focused on his hand, mouth twisted into a slight scowl.

A few hours in, small, pained sounds started to eke out of Ed's throat, the ache beginning to show in his eyes as his shoulder protested. He shut them against it, hand shaking worse than ever. Butler himself was silent, nothing moving but his artificial arm.

After only a few minutes of this, Artemis said dryly, without looking up from his book, "If it hurts that much, wouldn't the logical thing be to rest a moment?"

Ed froze, gold eyes going wide. Then they darted to Butler, who sat unmoved by his own shoulder's protestations. His jaw set, gold eyes jerked back to his own hand and narrowed again, and he snarled silently, and refused to let out another sound, though his face twitched with the pain in his shoulder.

Half an hour before dinner, his small automail hand pressed against Al's elbow, and he grinned tiredly, but triumphantly, sweat making his forehead shine. Al gave him the impression of beaming.

For dinner, Pinako set a bowl of stew before each of them as they sat around the table. Ed grinned and set right in, clumsily eating left-handed, while Al sat beside him – nothing set before him, Artemis noted. Butler gave Pinako a polite nod of thanks before setting in as well, and Artemis only wrinkled his nose before beginning to consume the country fare, inclining his head toward the old woman. Winry picked up her spoon and laughed at them.

"Winry!" Ed complained, shoving away the glass of milk in front of him. "Are you trying to _poison _me?"

"Milk is good for you, Ed!" the other eleven-year-old snapped back, scowling at him.

"Nothing that tastes that bad can be good for you!" Ed argued.

"If you don't drink your milk, you won't grow any taller, Edward," Pinako said blandly.

Ed bristled. "What was that, mini-hag?"

The two families seemed quite familiar with each other, Artemis noted. Which would agree with the pictures sticking so proudly to the bulletin board. Speaking of which…

"How long have you known each other?" Artemis inquired, resting his spoon in his stew and glancing up at them nonchalantly.

Ed and Pinako paused in their very vocal argument to look at him, slightly surprised.

"I've known them since the day they were born," Pinako explained finally. "In fact, their house is just up the hill." She nodded out the door.

Artemis raised an eyebrow. "Then where are their parents? I haven't seen them here even once." He had his suspicions, of course, but it was always nice to hear them confirmed aloud.

Both Rockbells and both Elrics stiffened, the tension in the room ratcheting up instantly. Artemis waited, and Butler stayed silent, watching. Finally, it was Ed who broke the silence, fist clenched around his spoon and glaring at the table.

"Mom died in the epidemic that swept through Resembool a few years ago." He scowled. "And our bastard of a father left us when we were little."

So they were all alone. Artemis 'hm'ed, looking back to his stew.

Butler glanced down at his charge, now certain that he had smelled blood. Now he was just tracking it to its source.

He wondered, with a slight shiver of apprehension, where Artemis' curiosity would lead them this time.

* * *

**Artemis is getting suspicious already. Poor Ed. *snicker* Please review!**


	4. Genius Decisions

**A/N: Hey, have any of you ever played Civilization? (I have no idea why it said situation before...) Because I have. But that was a while ago. And now I am again, and I have a tank army waiting to destroy Athens when my family gets home. (Alexander irritates me SO MUCH. And he keeps trying to offer me Democracy.) (Also, by the time they got home, I had three fighter jet wings.)**

**Title: A Heart Forged in Steel**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: T**

**Pairings: None**

**Genre: Friendship/Drama**

**Warnings: Earth!AU for Fullmetal Alchemist (profile for details) and slight AU for Artemis Fowl - the events of The Arctic Incident are all shunted forward a year.**

**Summary: In the fight with the troll, Butler loses more than is easily replaceable. In an attempt to remedy this, Artemis takes the bodyguard to Amestris, the world's main manufacturer of automail. There, they go to the best known makers of automail - the Rockbells - only to find that there is already a patient in surgery: Edward Elric.**

**Disclaimer: I own neither Artemis Fowl, nor the Fullmetal Alchemist. 'Tis but a dream.**

* * *

It was a month later, and Edward had matched Butler progress for progress, while still moving forward (metaphorically _and _literally) with his leg. Both of them could now manage basic shoulder and elbow movements, and Ed could walk a little, if he was holding on to Al.

So, for the first time in months, Ed went outside.

His left hand clutched Al's elbow in an iron grip (more effective than his steel one, at the moment) and put one foot in front of the other, slowly and laboriously, footsteps uneven and staggered. The arm Ed wasn't using for support hovered fretfully, waiting to catch Ed in case he fell.

Slowly, gradually, the brothers made it out the door and then off the porch, where Winry stood and watched them and smiled.

By the time they reached the river, Ed's breath was coming hard and fast, face flushed and wincing. Al sat down carefully, still supporting Ed, and as soon as he was down, Ed collapsed against him, panting.

For a few minutes, they sat there silently as Ed caught his breath. Finally, he looked up at Al and grinned. When he caught sight of Al's helmet head, though, it faded away.

"Al? What's wrong?"

Al was staring at the water, half hunched over, almost curling in on himself. His head dropped further as he whispered,

"I can't feel it, Ed. Not any of it."

Ed's face dropped and then twisted into a heart-wrenching, guilty expression, painful to even look at. "Al…"

"What does it feel like, brother?"

Ed's expression crumpled a little more, and his flesh hand tightened around one of Al's spikes. Voice soft, he started to speak, forehead pressing to his brother's shoulder. "It's a little cold today. There's a breeze, but you can hardly feel it, it's so light. More like early fall than almost winter." He set his flesh hand on the ground, digging his fingers in and dropping his head to hide his expression even as Al lifted his to look at him. "The grass is smooth and a little wet; the water must have been higher earlier, because the soil's a little muddy, too…"

Al listened, melancholy fading to interest and then hinting excitement softened with wistfulness as Ed went on to describe everything at the river, from the dirt to the pebbles on the riverbank, to the water running through and the silt of the riverbed, even a little worm he'd found digging its way out of the soil, voice gaining strength as he kept going, a smile tugging at his lips as his mood lifted with Al's.

Eventually, though, Ed ran out of things to describe, and, shortly after, started to shiver as the sun dropped in the sky. Gently, Al helped him up, practically carrying him back to the house.

The moment they got back, Ed collapsed back into his wheelchair, tired, sweaty, and grinning.

"Al," he panted. "I'm gonna get you your body back. I promise."

Al's stance softened. "I know, brother. And when we do, your limbs are going to be right with it."

It was not a few minutes after that that Artemis strode in, back straight, Butler a step behind, and he took in Ed's grin and sweaty form with a raised eyebrow.

Ed ignored him and looked up to Butler with a wild grin and new fire in his eyes. He raised his arm to point a muddy finger at the man towering over him, unperturbed by the difference in size. "You've kept up so far," he said forcefully. "But now, I'm gonna go _faster." _With fierce, challenging grin and a swift, split-second glance to Artemis, he finished, "Try and keep up!"

Butler looked at him and considered. Then, with a concentrated effort, he crossed his arms and smirked slightly. "That might take more than you have to give, little man."

Ed grinned a grin that bared his teeth, eyes sparking with excitement at the concession – a sharp contrast to the outright denial he'd gotten the time before. "Who're you callin' little, you freakishly big giant?"

* * *

It was two weeks later and Ed, to the surprise of Artemis and Butler, was actually pulling ahead. He began each morning with renewed determination and ended each night panting and satisfied.

Al was a strange combination of nervous, proud, and pleased, always with his older brother, talking or helping or encouraging as the boy struggled to progress. Winry clicked her tongue and scowled at Ed and rolled her eyes, but she smiled as much as she frowned, when Ed wasn't looking.

Almost every day, Ed would wind up on the ground or clinging to his brother, collapsing into a coughing fit that inevitably ended in blood. (This led to Artemis telling Butler outright that if he drove himself to that state, Artemis would not be pleased.)

But still, he was making good progress. He could make a fist where Butler curled his fingers, move his arm back where Butler moved his forward, and touch his metal port where Butler reached to touch his shoulder.

It wasn't much, but it was enough to furrow Artemis' brow.

* * *

Artemis lay on his side in the bed the Rockbells had given him, watching Butler as the bodyguard ran through a few last exercises before bed.

Before long, Butler caught him, and cocked an eyebrow at his twelve-year-old charge. "Artemis?"

Artemis blinked, realizing he had been staring for some time now. He sighed and moved, turning to look at the ceiling instead. "Nothing, Butler."

Butler studied him for a moment, and then sighed. "Artemis, even a genius can't plan for everything."

"I should have," Artemis mumbled. "That fairy… Commander Root. I knew he wouldn't have done anything permanent if he could help it, but… Of course there would be others, more ambitious, less humane. I ought to have anticipated it."

"People make mistakes," Butler reminded Artemis. "It's what makes us human."

"I don't," Artemis muttered bitterly.

"You can," Butler replied.

* * *

**There we go! My family's still not home... *sigh* I wanna go defeat Athens! (And then the Zulu, but only to win the game. I like the Zulu.) Anyway, please review!**

**Edit: Corrected A/N ;) and added line breaks.**


	5. Trip and Break

**A/N: More!**

**Title: A Heart Forged in Steel**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: T**

**Pairings: None**

**Genre: Friendship/Drama**

**Warnings: Earth!AU for Fullmetal Alchemist (profile for details) and slight AU for Artemis Fowl - the events of The Arctic Incident are all shunted forward a year.**

**Summary: In the fight with the troll, Butler loses more than is easily replaceable. In an attempt to remedy this, Artemis takes the bodyguard to Amestris, the world's main manufacturer of automail. There, they go to the best known makers of automail - the Rockbells - only to find that there is already a patient in surgery: Edward Elric.**

**Disclaimer: I own neither Artemis Fowl, nor the Fullmetal Alchemist. 'Tis but a dream.**

* * *

Another two weeks passed. Ed was able to hold things now, even move his wrist a little. He could also walk entirely on his own – at least for short periods of time.

It was the 'short periods of time' thing that Ed wasn't really getting.

Butler – restless in the small house in the small town, much unlike his employer, who was more or less satisfied with the many books contained within the Rockbells' home – was wandering the short halls again, ducking through a doorway to go down the upstairs hall, heading for an out-of-the-way corner.

It was here, very nearly at said corner, that he found Ed, sprawled on the ground and coughing up blood. Again.

The boy was scowling to himself, coughing violently, arms under him as he struggled to push himself up, with his left leg limp on the ground. It must have failed – folding under him from the strain of overuse. His right arm propped him up, forearm flat on the ground, while he tried to push himself up with his left.

"Dammit," he heard Ed mutter angrily. "Stupid leg, can't you just _work _for once, just a _few more damn minutes…" _He coughed, red flecks sprinkling across the ground in front of him, left arm giving way to send him sprawling down again.

He looked up as Butler approached, footsteps heavy on the wooden floor, and met his eyes for the briefest of moments before he looked away again, scowling and flushing angrily.

Butler looked down at the boy for a moment, expression impassive. It didn't look like he'd be managing to get up anytime soon, but that wasn't stopping him from trying, which seemed to be an ongoing trend with the stubborn boy. A hint of a smile flickered across the man's face before Butler bent down and, reaching with his right arm, hauled the eleven-year-old up by the back of his shirt, setting him down by the wall.

Ed yelped and stumbled when his feet met the ground again, catching himself on the wall, left leg responding sluggishly and reluctantly. Ed looked up at him, gold eyes startled, head tilted slightly.

"You should be careful," Butler said to him. "Straining yourself too much will only set you back."

Ed tipped his head back and looked at him. "Yeah?" He smiled. "I'll keep that in mind."

It turned out that Ed still couldn't make it very far on his own, so Butler kept pace with the boy as Ed held on to his sleeve, walking back to the living room.

The moment they got there, a worried Al pounced on Ed, while Winry brandished a wrench at him, yelling. Artemis sat back and looked at the two of them contemplatively.

* * *

The next day, Ed and Al were sitting at the table, with a tub of thick crayons that wouldn't break easily beside them as they tried to draw.

Al, hunched over and concentrating hard, was drawing the river, complete with pebbles and sand and grass by the riverbank. He let out a soft moan as another blue crayon snapped in his clumsy, unfeeling hands. This was why he'd refused to touch anything for the first three months!

Ed, a black crayon in his own hand as he carefully traced a mildly complex transmutation circle, looked up and gave his little brother a reassuring smile. "Don't worry, Al. You'll get it." He reached for the tub before Al could and peeked in, golden eyes wandering the tub.

A moment later, he stiffened, biting his lip.

That had been the last blue crayon.

"Brother?" Al questioned.

A new tub of crayons landed in the middle of the table, and both brothers looked up to find Butler looking at Edward, eyes strangely serious considering the item in his hands.

"I accept your challenge," he told the boy.

Ed blinked at him for a moment, and then grinned.

Artemis found the three of them still drawing an hour later, and raised an eyebrow at Butler. Butler chuckled, setting aside yet another snapped crayon and picking up another, setting the gunmetal gray to his unfinished, clumsy Neutrino – not that anyone but Artemis recognized it.

"Hello, Artemis," he greeted.

"Hello, Butler," Artemis said dryly, making his way over to the table. "Should I even ask?"

"It's to practice not breaking things," Al provided cheerfully, setting aside a snapped crayon of his own. He chose a smooth, clear brown and started to color in the silt edging the pebbles.

Artemis' eyes, though, were drawn to Edward's paper, and his gaze focused, sharpening with curiosity. "What is that, precisely?"

Ed looked up at him, faintly surprised; Artemis, in general, didn't interact with either of them or Winry much. "It's a transmutation circle."

"What does it do?"

Al glanced up, too, just in time to catch the faint sparkle of Edward's eyes, almost always present when he talked about alchemy. "It's an array used to excite neon particles in the air."

Artemis frowned. He'd never studied alchemy; it was a science that was more or less restricted to Amestris, as most people didn't like the risks that came with it. "That would make them luminous, correct?"

Ed bobbed his head, smiling. "Exactly!"

Artemis 'hm'ed and glanced at another one, more complex. "And what of that one?"

"That one separates dye components from cotton, and then that one is used to change them into a different color." Looking back to Artemis and seeing the curiosity on his face, Ed beamed. Needing no further prompting, he pointed to another. "This array transmutes grass into really crappy-tasting bread, and this one takes the components for an explosive from the earth and detonates them…"

Artemis listened, fascinated, and, soon enough, interrupted to ask, "And how does it work, exactly?"

Edward beamed again and pointed out each individual line and symbol, explaining how it made up the array for turning coal into gold. To his delight, Artemis understood easily, even more so than Al had the first time Ed had explained an array to him.

Soon enough, Ed moved from relatively simple arrays into complicated ones, and Artemis still kept up. He grabbed another piece of paper to draw out the array for setting off a reaction that transmuted oxygen out of bad air, not even pausing, just grabbing a fresh crayon each time one snapped in his fingers.

Artemis, by comparison, was interested in Ed's explanations, and also, in the back of his mind, as the arrays grew more and more complicated, coming to the conclusion that Ed was no ordinary eleven-year-old. After all, an eleven-year-old who could perform even elementary transmutations was generally considered 'special'.

"Who taught you alchemy?" Artemis paused to ask, even as Ed drew out an array for deconstructing toxic waste into a variety of benign substances.

Ed didn't even pause as he shrugged. "Al and I taught ourselves out of Dad's books when we were four and five. We got a teacher about two years ago and she taught us a little more." He shivered.

Artemis 'hm'ed.

Butler twitched. Now there were two geniuses to pretend to understand.

Later, Artemis would note that not once had Ed even touched upon the subject of bioalchemy, despite dipping into just about every other known type.

* * *

**I'm a little nervous about my portrayal of Butler here, but the man does have a light side, or so I like to think. And it really would help. But I'm going to stop defending myself now, because it's weird. So... Please review!**


	6. Phantom Memories

**A/N: And again! (At this point I actually have gone back a few times and added to the story.) (Now it's even more arrhythmic than it was before.)**

**Title: A Heart Forged in Steel**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: T**

**Pairings: None**

**Genre: Friendship/Drama**

**Warnings: Earth!AU for Fullmetal Alchemist (profile for details) and slight AU for Artemis Fowl - the events of The Arctic Incident are all shunted forward a year.**

**Summary: In the fight with the troll, Butler loses more than is easily replaceable. In an attempt to remedy this, Artemis takes the bodyguard to Amestris, the world's main manufacturer of automail. There, they go to the best known makers of automail - the Rockbells - only to find that there is already a patient in surgery: Edward Elric.**

**Disclaimer: I own neither Artemis Fowl, nor the Fullmetal Alchemist. 'Tis but a dream.**

* * *

"You seem more relaxed here," Artemis commented to Butler, sitting on the porch.

Butler, beside him, shrugged slightly, looking down at his young employer. "It's a small town. Very little happens in small towns." He chuckled. Not that that had generally kept him from going and patrolling the perimeter. Multiple times. Old habits were hard to break.

"Is that all?" Artemis asked skeptically.

"You are, too, Artemis," Butler countered, looking to the front. "It's not often that you talk to anyone as much as you do to them."

Artemis looked thoughtful. "No, I suppose not. There… is just something about them. They're very… open. It's refreshing, I suppose."

Butler chuckled again. "'Refreshing' is not the word you're looking for, Artemis." At Artemis' raised eyebrow, he continued, "It's _nice."_

Artemis stared at him for a moment, and then allowed a smile to play across his lips. "Yes. I suppose it is."

All things considered, it was amazing that the household had lasted even this long without an incident.

The day after a particular effortful day of automail rehab, Ed woke up aching. This wasn't unusual in and of itself, but the tingle in the fingertips that _weren't even there _was.

Ed didn't think anything of it; he rubbed at them absently, stopping the moment Al asked about it.

He was talking to Artemis, hastily scribbling out another transmutation circle, when he stopped talking abruptly and the crayon fell from his frozen fingers as his face lost its color rapidly.

Artemis frowned and looked at him. "Edward?"

Ed turned his head to look at him, gold eyes confused and pained, and he bit his lip hard, flesh hand flying up to grasp his shoulder as it tingled harshly, quickly building into pain and then an angry ripping, tearing, like his limb was being flayed. A strangled gasp escaped his lungs and he curled in on himself, struggling to draw breath, automail hand pressing to his leg port as his flesh one clutched at his shoulder.

Artemis' eyes widened. "Edward?" he repeated, more urgently.

Ed's face was screwed up, but he managed to turn his head to Artemis, gold eyes fixing on the other boy desperately, and he gasped out, "Get Granny!" It felt like his limbs were being ripped away all over again!

Artemis was frozen for two moments longer before a choked-off scream sent him into action, and he scrambled up in a distinctly undignified manner (he made a mental note to scold himself for that later) and called out, "Madam Rockbell!"

It wasn't Pinako who answered, but Winry; she poked her head in, blue eyes concerned. "Artemis? What's wrong?" Her eyes fell to Ed and widened. _"Ed!" _Then, louder, "Granny!"

Soon enough, the call attracted the sound of Pinako Rockbell's footsteps, along with the much louder ones of Butler and Al.

"What's wrong with brother?" Al demanded, almost before he was even in the room, fidgeting anxiously, red orbs fixed on his older brother, who could barely muster the will to look at him, let alone clear his expression like he normally would.

Butler, not unfamiliar with this, spoke before Pinako did. "Phantom pains."

Ed held back a scream. Al cringed. _"Ed!"_

"Winry, go get the painkillers," Pinako ordered swiftly. "You know which ones."

Winry nodded once, blue eyes worried, and hurried off. Al rushed toward his brother and bent down beside him, regarding him worriedly for a moment. One hand travelled up to rub tentatively at Ed's shoulder.

It didn't seem to help, but Al kept doing it anyway.

Quickly, but not quickly enough, Winry returned with a cup of water and a bottle of painkillers.

"Ed," she said, voice commanding. Ed's eyes jerked to her, dulling slightly, closer to the honey yellow Artemis remembered from the first time he'd seen him, though not nearly that bad. The instant she had his attention, she placed the pills in his mouth and the cup to his lips. She waited just long enough for him to focus on her properly before tipping the cup and he swallowed obediently, taking the water and the pills both into his stomach.

After that, it was mostly a matter of slightly tense waiting. Artemis wouldn't admit it, but he was more worried than he'd willingly let on; this sort of thing, pain and lost limbs and screaming, wasn't his territory. Not at all. And he had very little idea of how to conduct himself.

At this rate, though, he'd learn.

After a short eternity, the tension began to seep from Edward, and finally, he lifted his flesh arm tentatively and slumped forward with a soft moan onto the table, eyes falling shut.

Al let out a soft sound and picked his brother up without waiting to be told what to do, bringing him up to their shared room.

Artemis glanced to Butler, then away, frowning out the window.

Artemis knew that superficial knowledge only went so far in reality.

But seeing that applied was, of course, something very different.

* * *

**You know, that entire second part wasn't there initially. I don't know, like, anything about phantom pains, so I might have (probably) exaggerated. A lot. But anyway. Please review!**


	7. Dirty Little Secret

**A/N: Guys. GUYS. Hi. You're gonna like this one, promise. *grin* *excited bouncing* First time I've actually gotten around to the good part in a reasonable amount of time - I blame the arrhythmia.**

**Title: A Heart Forged in Steel**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: T**

**Pairings: None**

**Genre: Friendship/Drama**

**Warnings: Earth!AU for Fullmetal Alchemist (profile for details) and slight AU for Artemis Fowl - the events of The Arctic Incident are all shunted forward a year.**

**Summary: In the fight with the troll, Butler loses more than is easily replaceable. In an attempt to remedy this, Artemis takes the bodyguard to Amestris, the world's main manufacturer of automail. There, they go to the best known makers of automail - the Rockbells - only to find that there is already a patient in surgery: Edward Elric.**

**Disclaimer: I own neither Artemis Fowl, nor the Fullmetal Alchemist. 'Tis but a dream.**

* * *

It was raining out. Ed woke up rubbing his shoulder port, wincing. _Ow…_

But then Al noticed he was awake and beamed at him. "Brother! Look, it's just finished raining!" His head turned to the window, and Ed obediently looked out to find clouds just blowing away from the sky, mud and puddles scattered around outside, just begging to be jumped in.

Ed didn't want to. Hig leg hurt, his shoulder hurt, and there was a warning tingling in his false fingers and toes.

But Al sounded so excited.

He grinned at his little brother. "Let's go outside," he said enthusiastically, swinging his legs off the bed without a hint at the ache in his limbs. "C'mon!"

Al beamed again and bounced out after him, following Ed as the small boy ran down the stairs, feet stomping unevenly over the ground.

Artemis was already awake, reading yet another book at the table. For once, Butler was with him, a book on combat automail in one large hand. Artemis looked up as the two brothers clanked down the stairs and raised an eyebrow. "Edward?"

The golden-eyed boy's hair had grown in the time Artemis had known him; he refused to let anyone cut it. Now it reached just past his chin, brushing it gently.

Ed grinned at him and jerked an automail thumb out the door. "Al and I are gonna go splash around for a while. You coming?"

Butler chuckled. Artemis wrinkled his nose. "I think not."

Ed shrugged. "Suit yourself." He darted out the door, Al following after him happily. Artemis smirked a little, amused despite himself.

"Where'd Ed and Al go?" a yawning Winry asked, coming down the stairs.

Artemis nodded out the door. Winry rolled her eyes.

"Of course."

She looked out the window to find mud and water flying everywhere already, and smiled, watching Ed fling a handful of muck across Al's chest plate.

"Don't you dare forget to clean your automail later!" she yelled out the door. "If it rusts I'll kill you, Ed!"

"Yeah, yeah!" came Ed's voice, dismissive.

"Won't Alphonse's armor have to be cleaned out as well?" Artemis asked, feigning disinterest.

He didn't fail to notice the color draining from Winry's face, nor the strain in the smile that followed. "Yeah… I'll make sure Ed does that."

As it turned out, Ed didn't need to be told. A few hours later, when Ed tripped up in the mud and accidentally let slip a pained groan getting up, Al launched straight into mother hen mode, shooing his brother back inside, berating him for not saying anything.

Ed responded by dragging his little brother up the stairs, making noises about rust and cleaning and oil. When they disappeared from hearing range, Al was insisting that Ed take care of his automail first, and then they could clean his armor.

Artemis, in turn, waited about an hour before he decided to go upstairs and look in. Butler, resigned to his employer's insatiable curiosity and unable to deny his own, followed.

The door opened. Artemis entered quietly, and blue eyes landed on the scene within and widened.

Al's chest plate was open, and Ed was half inside it, diligently wiping at the inside. That wasn't the alarming part.

The alarming part was the the armor's arms were still moving as Al spoke, and Al was nowhere to be seen.

The armor's head turned toward them, and red orbs landed on them. Al froze and stopped talking. When he spoke again, it was in a squeak. "E-Ed!"

Edward withdrew from the armor and sat back on his heels, a muddy washcloth in his hand, and frowned at Al. "Al?"

Al shakily pointed at Butler. Ed turned around, and his eyes widened in horror.

A moment later, horror turned to angry fear, and he threw the washcloth at them. "Get out!" he snarled.

Artemis didn't move, blue eyes flashing. "The armor is empty." It wasn't a question.

Ed surged to his feet, fists clenched. "Get out!"

"Why?" Artemis' head tipped slightly, looking around Ed to where Al was frozen on the ground. He could just make out something red at the back of the armor; he wondered what it was.

Gold eyes were on fire, dangerous with their fury. Artemis was unmoved; even if he truly believed Edward would attack, Butler wouldn't let the boy touch him.

"Why is your brother's armor empty?"

Al spoke, hands covering the front of his armor like it was a dirty secret. And Artemis would bet all the fairy gold in his possession that it was. "Please leave. Please."

Artemis smiled coldly, and did.

He only knew so much about alchemical theory. But most of the pieces were there, and he already had his suspicions about the picture that they formed.

"Artemis?" Butler's voice, curious. Of course. Who wouldn't be? "What do you think that was?"

"That," Artemis said, voice thoughtful and slow. Thinking. "Was something that I think they don't want anyone to know." He looked up at Butler and smiled an unfriendly smile. "Butler. We have somewhere to be tomorrow morning."

Butler raised an eyebrow. "Yes, sir."

It looked like Artemis had just about reached his conclusion.

* * *

**...I had to go back FIFTY PAGES in my document-which-covers-all-things-that-I-have-written to find this. Fifty pages. Wow, okay then. Well, please review!**


	8. Challenge the Sun

**A/N: And now, what you were waiting for. *beam***

**Title: A Heart Forged in Steel**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: T**

**Pairings: None**

**Genre: Friendship/Drama**

**Warnings: Earth!AU for Fullmetal Alchemist (profile for details) and slight AU for Artemis Fowl - the events of The Arctic Incident are all shunted forward a year.**

**Summary: In the fight with the troll, Butler loses more than is easily replaceable. In an attempt to remedy this, Artemis takes the bodyguard to Amestris, the world's main manufacturer of automail. There, they go to the best known makers of automail - the Rockbells - only to find that there is already a patient in surgery: Edward Elric.**

**Disclaimer: I own neither Artemis Fowl, nor the Fullmetal Alchemist. 'Tis but a dream.**

* * *

The next day, Artemis and Butler left the house early, under the guise of going for a walk. Butler decided to trust his employer's judgement and followed him as he walked up the hill, steps careful and even.

They reached the top, stopping before a clearly abandoned house. A bad feeling hung over the dwelling, as though it were haunted, almost like a stink of death and warning. Butler started to have doubts.

"Artemis-"

"Let's go in," Artemis cut him off, not looking at him. He reached forward and opened the door.

Instantly, the stink of old blood washed over them. Artemis coughed slightly, covering his mouth and nose as his blue eyes travelled over the interior of the house.

It was dark. Books and burnt-out candles were scattered around the wooden floor, and dark, dried blood encrusted much of the ground.

In the center of the room, a large, complex transmutation circle glared at them ominously, reverberating like a bad omen. Artemis took in a sharp breath, despite his suspicions.

Only one transmutation circle could be that complex.

Butler breathed out a soft curse, eyes wide and surprised as they wandered the haunting room, which looked like it had been captured just the day after something happened – something that could never be taken back. Something irrevocable.

In this room, as it stood just then, something had changed a person's life, and nothing would ever be the same.

Artemis turned around abruptly, startling Butler. "I've seen enough," he said quietly. Somberly. "Let's go."

"With pleasure," Butler muttered.

They left, the door shutting with a threatening click behind them.

When they returned, Artemis headed straight for Al. As had always happened since the day before, Al straightened up like he'd been shocked, and Ed eyed both of them suspiciously and guardedly, not a hint of the familiar, friendly boy they'd known in past months to be seen.

"Edward," Artemis said, hands clasped behind his back, eyes serious and unwavering. "Alphonse."

No reply. Butler glanced at his charge, wondering what, precisely, they had seen. Artemis – as usual – had clearly taken far more away from that endeavor than he had.

"I know what you did."

Edward's fingers tightened into fists, and his teeth gritted as he glared at Artemis. Al dropped his head, ashamed. Butler frowned, uncomprehending. Artemis was unrelenting.

"You committed the taboo, didn't you, Edward?"

Butler's eyes widened slightly. The taboo. That could only be…

Edward's golden eyes flashed, going molten with anger. "What's it to you?"

"You performed human transmutation," Artemis continued. "It was your mother, wasn't it?"

Al made a soft, distressed sound and covered his helmeted head. Ed growled, anger covering his own regret and misery.

"What was the price?" This, really, was one of the things Artemis was most curious about. What was the price for playing God? What was the price for trying to bring back the dead?

Ed looked away sharply, and said, voice low and grudging, "Al's body and my left leg." Anticipating the next question, he added, voice furious, at Artemis and at himself, "I gave my right arm to tie Al's soul to the armor."

Artemis nodded, once. But again, curiosity. "How?"

Ed sighed, scowled at him, and looked at Al, expression trapped and conflicted. Al shrugged at him. Ed stood up and walked over to Al, and Al bent down obediently, allowing Ed to remove his head. Despite himself, Artemis shivered. There was something not right about seeing the helmet taken off a moving suit of armor, and finding it hollow.

Ed, though, pointed at the red spot Artemis had noted before. "See that?" he asked tersely, not looking at him.

Artemis nodded.

"It looks like it's in blood," Butler noted, gaze sharp.

Edward nodded shortly. "Yeah. My blood." Another shiver travelled down Artemis' spine. "It's Al's blood seal; it's what keeps his soul bound to the armor."

Setting the helmet back on, Ed jerked his head back to Artemis and glared at him, something close to hatred, but more desperate, in his eyes. "What the hell do you want?"

Butler glanced down to his employer.

Artemis considered. He held in his hands the ability to ruin their lives. It was a perfect blackmail opportunity. Pinako and Winry and Ed and Al, they knew things, things he himself would love to know. He could make them teach him.

But then, what had his last scheme gotten him? He barely refrained from glancing at Butler again. It had cost Butler a lot. He'd learned his lesson; Artemis wasn't a genius for nothing.

Besides, Ed and Al had lost enough.

Finally, Artemis raised an eyebrow, as though he hadn't had to think it over at all. "Want? For once, nothing more than to satisfy my own curiosity. I assume it failed?"

Ed nodded jerkily. "All we created was a monster," he whispered. "It wasn't even human."

Artemis' eyes clouded over slightly. Not enough to stop him. "What now?"

Ed's eyes slowly travelled up to Artemis' from where they'd fallen to the ground. "What now?" he echoed.

"What are you planning now?"

Edward frowned at him. "Aren't you going to say anything? Threaten to turn us in, or something?"

Almost. But not quite.

Artemis chuckled. "Edward, I am a Fowl. When it comes to crime, I am one of the last to talk." That nearly made Butler chuckle right with him. Artemis glanced to Al. "And it is clear to see that you and your brother have already paid your price."

Artemis supposed that it was a hazard of being a genius – a child genius especially. He glanced at Butler.

Sometimes, you overestimated yourself. You let your arrogance consume you. And sometimes, that led to people getting hurt.

Ed dropped his head and nodded grudgingly, clenched fists relaxing.

"I'm going to get my brother's body back," he told Artemis without further prompting, seemingly satisfied. Gold eyes darted between Artemis and Butler, who watched the proceedings with an intent gaze. "I don't care what it takes, I'm going to do it, and nothing's going to stop me."

Artemis nodded. Butler looked down at the gold-haired boy.

So that was what had been driving him, all this time.

* * *

**I think there's only a chapter or two left now. What did you think of this? Please review and let me know!**


	9. And When You Do

**A/N: Okay, yeah, I probably waited longer on this one than was called for. But hey. It's the last chapter! *beam***

**Title: A Heart Forged in Steel**

**Author: liketolaugh**

**Rating: T**

**Pairings: None**

**Genre: Friendship/Drama**

**Warnings: Earth!AU for Fullmetal Alchemist (profile for details) and slight AU for Artemis Fowl - the events of The Arctic Incident are all shunted forward a year.**

**Summary: In the fight with the troll, Butler loses more than is easily replaceable. In an attempt to remedy this, Artemis takes the bodyguard to Amestris, the world's main manufacturer of automail. There, they go to the best known makers of automail - the Rockbells - only to find that there is already a patient in surgery: Edward Elric.**

**Disclaimer: I own neither Artemis Fowl, nor the Fullmetal Alchemist. 'Tis but a dream.**

* * *

Pinako found Ed frowning into a mirror. His hair had finally grown long enough to bother Ed enough to pull it into a ponytail.

"You look almost like your father, with your hair like that," she commented.

Artemis glanced up from his alchemy book, borrowed from the Elrics' house. He'd been around Edward for long enough at this point to know that any mention of their father made Ed irritated, at the very least.

Sure enough, Ed scowled. "Yeah, I do." One hand darted back up to the back of his head and pulled the hairband out. He slipped it around his wrist, and, after struggling with his hair for a few moments, Ed had managed to form a clumsy braid out of his golden locks.

He grinned at the mirror.

"That's more like it."

It was nine months in and Edward could color an entire picture without breaking a single crayon, even a thin one. Al was right beside him, no longer afraid to handle fragile things like glasses or small animals.

Butler was tied even with him, now, with the added bonus of not coughing up blood.

They were both well into 'operable shape' and now Butler was moving on to 'fighting shape'.

Much to their surprise, so was Ed.

"Some guy called Colonel Mustang offered me a try at the State Alchemist test a few days after… well, you know," Ed explained, aiming a careful punch that wasn't nearly as strong as he would have liked at a punching bag. Catching Artemis' skeptical look, he scowled at him. "Hey, I can _totally _do this. Shut up."

"If you say so," Artemis muttered dubiously.

Ed scowled at him and looked back to the front, aiming a vicious kick that propelled the bag a little way back.

Eleven months in, Butler and Ed were both well into being in good enough shape to fight well again, and had moved on from fairly basic fighting to their own variants.

Butler found Edward outside in a field, golden eyes focused and intent as he flipped back, and, a moment later, cartwheeled as though he were dodging a blow – surprisingly agile, considering two of his limbs were artificial and heavy as a pile of bricks. Butler raised an eyebrow.

"That's certainly an interesting fighting style."

Ed started and whirled toward him, braid whipping through the air. A second later, he flushed darkly and scowled at the ground. "Most of the time… when I get into fights…" He scowled, struggling for words. "I'm… not as… _large… _as most of the people I'm up against." He scowled harder.

Ah. That would explain it. Edward _was _rather small, even for his age – twelve years old, now. Come to think of it, he'd hardly grown at all in the time Butler had known him. Even Artemis had sprouted a few inches.

Butler chuckled. Edward scowled at him.

Well. Butler had never been smaller than his opponents. That didn't mean Madam Ko had spared him from learning those sorts of moves – if nothing else, so he knew what to expect.

"Here's a trick I expect you've never seen before…"

The irritation in Ed's eyes cleared to curiosity, and he imitated Butler's demonstration, much more suited to his small body. Leaning against the back of the building, Artemis chuckled at the scene.

"Where did you learn to fight?" Butler asked, guiding Ed through another move.

Ed shuddered. "My alchemy teacher taught me and Al both. She's _scary. _Used to throw knives at us to see if we were paying attention. Or if she got irritated with us." Glancing up to Butler, he added, with a wry grin, "When me and Al first asked her to teach us, she threw us onto a deserted island for a month."

Hm. Sounded a bit like Madam Ko, really. Maybe they were related.

Later, Butler would catch Al watching and trying to imitate him in his own practice, and would resign himself to teaching the suit of armor a few techniques as well.

Artemis would very nearly laugh out loud.

The first time Artemis saw Edward perform alchemy, clapping his hands and slamming them to the ground, his eyes widened at the blue sparks that erupted. _It looks just like…_

"Fairy magic," Butler muttered to him.

Artemis nodded, eyes thoughtful, gaze intent.

"Yes. It does."

On November 27th, Winry examined Ed and declared him completely finished with his rehabilitation. Three days later, Pinako did the same for Butler, who had opted out of combat automail when he'd discovered that it would slightly impair the standard operations of that arm. Best to stick with what he knew.

The celebration was small, but elated; everyone was smiling, even Artemis. Ed was bouncing around like a hyper rabbit, a big grin on his face, and Artemis and Butler were more than pleased, satisfied that they'd soon be back to Ireland.

_Not, _Artemis thought, glancing to the Resembool residents, _that it was all that bad in Resembool._

And indeed, it wasn't. The country atmosphere was surprisingly calming, and the residents – even the ones outside the Rockbell home, whom Artemis had barely spoken to – were warm and friendly, to say nothing of those inside.

Ed called up 'Colonel Mustang', who seemed rather surprised and not a little skeptical that Edward was already finished. Edward resisted the urge to yell at him and told the man he'd be on the train come the third.

On October 3rd, the day both the Elrics and the two foreigners intended to depart, Artemis said goodbye to Winry (who yelled at him through angry tears to write) and Pinako (who simply nodded, smiling slightly) and found the two Elrics standing outside their home, watching it burn.

Butler jolted forward slightly, startled, but Artemis put a hand on his arm, stopping him. Butler looked down at him, frowning, but didn't move forward again.

Soon enough, Ed turned around, gold gaze steely. Al followed a moment later, head held high.

"Well?" Artemis asked.

"We're not going to look back," Ed said firmly, fists clenched. "After this, there's no going back. We're in it for good, until we've got Al's body back."

Artemis nodded. Butler did, too.

"When you get Al's body back," Artemis said quietly. "I expect to be informed."

Ed smiled. "Yeah. We'll do that."

"We'll miss you," Al offered, fidgeting with his fingers. "It was nice to meet you."

Ed coughed. "Yeah," he agreed. "It would've been… a lot harder on my own."

Looking at the uncomfortable boy, Butler smiled. "Yes. It would have been."

He wasn't talking about Edward's rehab.

Artemis turned away, giving a nod over his shoulder. "Goodbye, Edward, Alphonse."

Both of them waved, and Butler nodded as well, following his employer, as Edward and Alphonse turned back to continue watching the flames consuming their childhood home.

Artemis and Butler boarded the train to East City and moved almost straight on to the airport, and, an hour later, Ed and Al headed for the city to take Ed's State Alchemy test.

They each had their own things to do, but that, of course, didn't mean that they would just forget.

Forgetting wasn't that easy.

* * *

**Hey, we're finished. That's that~! Please review!**


	10. Sequel!

**A Heart Forged in Steel has a sequel! Go look for 'And Tempered in Truth', same section. I put it up earlier today and forgot to tell people. (No wonder people are ignoring it.) (GODDAMMIT THAT IS THE FOURTH SPIDER TODAY)**


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